Look Home

Resource Archive

If you want to save on the post (now that's energy efficient) you could look at an online version of a LookHome™ back issue (and of course, if any earlier issue is out of stock you can find it here.) Browse the whole mag or search for individual articles. Some even have DO IT TV videos attached.

Transforming old into new

Once a dilapidated beach shack, this coastal home makes the most of its superb location.

Upsizing your homes value

When spending money on renovaitons, make sure you are adding to your bottom line.

Unexpected treasures

Renovating can sometimes unearth unexpected hidden treasures.

Potter's playground

Michelle and Richard Black have designed a creative haven for a Melbourne potter.

How to avoid a renovation disaster

This is one blonde’s guide to do-it-for-me renovations that won’t do you over.

Light on weight big on design

When it comes to building and renovation, lightweight construction is proving to be a popular, cost-effective choice.

more

All in the family

Passion and commitment from skilled familymembers helped this Queensland builder createa luxury eco home that doesn’t break the bank.

more

Everything old is new again

Two narrow city blocks showcase how the right materials and designcan help build in extra space, light and energy efficiency into a home.

more

Affordable Building

Light in weight big on design

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Remember when Archicentre used to have those great makeover concept articles in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald? You know, how to transform a horror-show into a well-designed haven? Well, we loved them so much (and our readers told us they wanted more floorplans) that we brought them back with a twist. We've also added some of the concepts that are being designed by Archicentre's Bushfire Design Concept service.

Middle Park Makeover

Archicentre architect Christopher McSteen was selected to develop the following brief for the potential buyers of a Melbourne home.

“The home is a traditional single-storey, two-bedroom Victorian weatherboard cottage on a wide, open, tram-lined street,” says Christopher. “A two storey solid brick extension, added in the 1980’s, comprises a spiral staircase and two very large bedrooms at the rear. The family hopes to blend the indoor/outdoor area, add an en suite downstairs, a loo upstairs, and strike a fine balance between Victorian and modern style.”

read more view the floorplan

Ventor Makeover

The site
The site is a vacant block in a small street close to the beach. Most of the blocks in the street have been built on. The rear of the block abuts a foreshore reserve and faces north. There is a slight slope towards the rear. The soil conditions appear to be sandy.
A test will be required to establish the exact conditions.

read more view the floorplan

Bondi Makeover

The brief
The existing three-bedroom house is semi-detached and has an old style rear -with the service rooms currently positioned between the living areas and the back courtyard. Archicentre, the home advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects, asked Roger Barrett of Barrett Pinet Architecture to open up the home to the rear and maximise the relationship between indoors and out.

read more view the floorplan

Campbell Makeover - Canberra

The property
This featured property is in Campbell – a suburb in Canberra’s inner north, close to Civic, Lake Burley Griffin, the Defence Force offices, Canberra airport and the main arterial roads to the coast, Sydney and the Snowy Mountains.
Architect Graham Legge says the existing two-bedroom house is of brick veneer construction with polished timber floor boards, timber framed windows and timber doors. It is north-facing with large windows and glass doors to the living room.

read more view the floorplan

Fifties Weatherboard Makeover

Houses were different in the fifties. While homes were built to last, the design was often not as well thought through as it could have been. For this couple - whose toilet can be seen from the front door - their architect needed to come up with a well-designed makeover.

read more view the floorplan

Sundial in Brunswick

Archicentre architect Michael Ellis has seized on the potential of this Brunswick property to create a striking, sun-filled modern extension.

read more view the floorplan

First Homebuyers Turn First-time Renovators

Steve and Tammy bought their first home in a peaceful, family orientated area in the Victorian suburb of Burwood. The couple was excited when they found a 1950’s art deco-style brick veneer with a triple-fronted façade well within their budget. Located on a good sized block, light, airy with a backyard and views of the Dandenongs, it ticked all the boxes.

read more view the floorplan

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